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Rams
Rams are warships designed to intentionally collide into an opposing warship intending to deal disproportionate damage. They are opposites to slow, gunslinging fortresses- fast and nearly unarmed. However, they are notoriously heavily armored, to withstand the collision and to withstand the shellfire sustained in the attack run. Antiaircraft guns may be carried, but like the deck guns, it would serve as defensive arms. To make a good ram ship the ship should still be manuverable. Ram ships should not have deck or hull pieces, and is ideal to bemade out of 2 by 3 400 mm lightweight armor for the best results. Some of the larger ram ships may be able to launch enemies high into the air if made correctly. Armament Unlike most vessels, they are generally unarmed, for the ship is the weapon. A few may have guns for defensive purposes, but most will have torpedoes mounted on the bow. This turns any ram from a bullet to an explosive bomb-lance. Most will have either the Torpedo Tube A or the Triple Torpedo Tube, as both could deploy three torpedoes in a 3-block wide space and range is a non-issue at point-blank range. Also useful are depth charges as they can damage ships as you pass over them. Light AAA may be carried, though in limited numbers due to their ease of damage, cost and the ultimate purpose. If the ram ship is tough enough, and you do have fighter planes, use them instead of anti aircraft guns, but do not equip any other planes Roles and Usage These ships are designed for hit-and-run attacks, closing in fast and delivering a massive amount of damage and fleeing before the opponent could react. As such, they are heavily specialized to do just that to the detriment of other abilities. While they may be better classified in their respective categories, some warships were designed to be capable of ramming if need be. However, any ship can ram if need be. Tactics See Battle Tactics Attempt to dodge gunfire in the approach run, or when the ram comes to the target. When about five nautical miles away, make a straight dash to the vessel. Best time it after they fired a volley. With the fire rate of a musket, the big guns need about twenty seconds to reload. After their shots miss, close in. Use this twenty seconds to close the gap and kill the ship with point-blank torpedoes and make a getaway. The torpedoes should be fired within the second before impact for maximum effect. Once the collision has taken place, escape and repeat. Ships equipped with port or starboard firing torpedoes, notably destroyers, may be dangerous. In this case, dodge torpedoes and ram as usual. The Future Battleship Craft will enter the modern age of weaponry, including long-range cruise missiles and aircraft with a strike distance exceeding the range of the 46cm Gun. What will become of rams, a weapon as ancient and varied as Athenian Triemes and the ironclad Kotetsu? Already a novelty ship, they could easily be destroyed by existing weaponry. Fast boats could out-pace and out-gun them, even without these new weapons. Destroyers proved to be equally lethal, without the heavy guns of battleships. Skilled cruiser and battleship captains could make quick work of these ships. Running a ramming attack against even the outdated fortress is suicidal. Carriers could sink one before it could reach it. Unlike the fortress, a ram is unsuited for upgrades. Hence, as the missile age dawns, rams will no longer be credible ships against stronger vessels, but could hold their own to beginner vessels due to their lesser firepower. TriviaCategory:Shiptype * Mods can increase armor/toughness of rams, making them better for their job * Most rams used torpedoes, but the USS Katahdin was a pure ram. However she was considered a dismal failure. * Many ancient warships such as Greek triremes were designed to ram opposing warships, with great success until long-ranged shipboard artillery came commonplace. * However, in the mid-late 19th century, some ironclad warships incorporated rams in the design as a means to breach thick armor. However, this idea was only from a lucky attack during the Battle of Lisse in 1868. Like its ancient counterparts, these were eventually rendered outdated with long-range shipboard artillery capable of penetrating armor.